Hot property

On the back of all the positive press about the housing market in the Waimate District, we thought we’d hit up the local agents to find out why the market’s on the move.

Beautiful historic home Te Kiteroa is on the market.

Julie-Anne Davidson of Farmlands Real Estate has noticed an increase in couples with young families buying into the area. The reason being it’s still affordable to buy great properties. They love the central location and outdoor lifestyle. One couple decided to drive from Nelson to Balclutha looking for a place to live and fell in love with Waimate!

Houses in the $200k to $300k price range are selling fast. Also the classic ‘fixer-upper' properties are being snapped up.

Ruth Burke of Harcourts advice is that if you are thinking of selling ‘just do it’. Good properties are selling fast. She sees a mix of people wanting to downsize or retire, as well as young people wanting to get their foot on the property ladder.

Jess and Simon from Property Brokers had this to say:

“Waimate is a great place to call home and getting better all the time. There is a real positive feel about the future and what the town has to offer. People are making the move to Waimate for all sorts of reasons. But mostly because it has a great outlook and a positive vibe. People are looking at the town and saying what are they going to do next?”

Fiona Hislop from LJ Hooker said the market is buoyant because of the expansion of both dairy factories and more people moving into the area from all parts of New Zealand. You can still buy a family sized home on your quarter acre section for a reasonable price. We have the infrastructure and amenities in town and are experiencing a positive growth which offers more opportunities for business development and employment.

The feedback she’s getting from new residents is that they are loving the friendly welcoming community that helps them fit in so well and has so much to offer.

So why move to the Waimate District?

Central Location

We’re less than an hour from both Timaru and Oamaru, an easy commuting distance if people have to travel for work, yet our houses are more affordable. Waimate is a gateway to the Waitaki Lakes and to Central Otago. The Waitaki Lakes are our summer playground, half the District migrates up there for the summer

Great Outdoors

Our rural setting, and the world-class recreational opportunities on our doorstep make the Waimate District an ideal place to live. Where do we start? Walking and MTB tracks galore, fishing, water sports, hunting, golf courses, parks and reserves.

Great community

We're a small district with a big heart. Community counts, and there are hundreds of sporting, cultural and hobby groups ready to welcome you. It’s a diverse community, with a large number of positive people pushing the District forward.

Great schools

Take your pick of primary schools and early childhood centres, you have choice and can find the perfect place that suits your child. Waimate High School is a great secondary option.

Positive developments

Confidence is reflected in the amount of new businesses opening, including a craft brewery, and rural areas are seeing an increase in agri tourism ventures. Development on the main CBD in Waimate includes new medical and veterinary centres.

And in other really exciting news, Waimate has recently been successful in obtaining entry into the Department of Internal Affairs Community Led Development programme. This means we have access to significant funding for the next five years for projects and initiatives that we, the community, decide on.

The Waimate District Council are in the process of creating their Economic Development Strategy, which will be implemented over 10 years. They launched the Explore Waimate website and social media marketing programme in December 2017, after an initial round of community consultation. This is one of a series of action plans which will contribute to the district’s growth.